Concrete Rose settled at Spa, pointing for Saratoga Oaks

About 12 hours after she won the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, Concrete Rose left Belmont Park by van for Saratoga where she was bedded down by late Sunday morning.

Trainer Rusty Arnold said provided all goes well over the next four weeks, Concrete Rose will run in the inaugural $750,000 Saratoga Oaks on Aug. 2. That race is run at 1 3/16 miles.

The Saratoga Oaks comes back 27 days after the Belmont Invitational, for which Concrete Rose earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Arnold said the fact her races have been spaced two months apart thus far this year, Concrete Rose should be able to handle the quicker turnaround.

“I think because she’s had the time, she’s going to handle it well,” Arnold said. “She hasn’t been overraced. Had I stuck one more in there would have been harder to come back in four weeks.”

Arnold spoke Sunday afternoon from Lexington where he was preparing the rest of his stable for the ship to Saratoga. Arnold said Concrete Rose, who is now 5 for 6 in her career, would likely return to the track on Wednesday.